In the Shadows of Light
by Shadovin
Summary: The life of an immortality obsessed warlock turns hostile as he faces death in Northrend. Along with a close friend, a Draenei General, the two find immortality in the forced tainting of their bodies with the scourge, ultimately making them Death Knight.
1. Chapter 1 2 and 3

**In the Shadows of Light**

(This story begins with the WotLK, as a temperamental Human Warlock comes face to face with death itself in the cold hearted lands of Northrend, he finds the immortality he had once sought in Demonology. He just didn't count on his immortality being one of servitude. Will his living temperament free him from the Kings Will or consume him in a struggle even an immortal can not win?)

**Chapter 1**: In the Beginning…….There was a void?

Thaedian Mordrus started his life like any other human child in the Eastern Kingdoms. He had begun with a grooming process aimed to insure him a position in life such as his father, a man of some means in the Great City of Stormwind. The Mordrus family had survived the second Orc Invasion simply by hiding out in there country home outside the city, Thaedian was just a baby at the time of the second invasion. His father Gaius Mordrus had started life as a masons son, but when the great city was being patched up after the second invasion, Gaius made himself a friend in a young up and coming rogue of means, Mathias Shaw. Mathias helped secure Gaius a position in the government as an advisor to the Stormwind Council in matters of the local labor men.

Fearing his family would return to the ranks of common Laborers, Gaius spent much of his new career trying to build up and maintain friendships with Stormwind Nobility rather then working with the local laborers. As such, he was loved by his friends in the nobility, but was looked down upon by the compatriots of his youth who felt him a traitor to his birth class. In his attempts to keep his family in the civil sector, Gaius inadvertently created the beginning in a chain of events that would set his own sons life.

Thaedian as a boy, revered his father. For him, it was easy. His father was gone from their country home often enough that the young boy never had to see his fathers flaws. His mother, an accomplished herbalist and daughter of a tailor did very well selling her herbs to young alchemists while also making garments and patching up cloth war gear for battle mages who would visit the Academy in Stormwind. The priests however would not use his mothers services. Relmyna's Father fought the Scourge in the days before Arthas and his culling of Strathholme. When word came that Tetius Rhym (Relmyna's father) had fallen victim to the Scourge and was now an undead, the Cathedral of Light closed its doors to the family of Rhym. A fact that was not lost on Relmyna's only son, even at a young age.

Thaedian was a strong willed boy with a solid head on his shoulders. He was intelligent like his father, but more practical like his mother. He found no fondness in his mothers love of gathering however and decided, when given the option of education, chose not Herbalistic Lessons, but his father innate love of Geology and took basic mining practices. The only problem, his stocky Dwarven teacher always said "The boy has a good head on 'em I tell ya, but he's just too fragile. He's limber, he's tough, but he's small in the arms and his bones are just too easily hurt. I just dunna think he will ever be able to mine anythin' better then Iron." Gaius said to himself that it didn't matter anyway. Stormwind was built of stone, not iron. His son could play with steel all day, but when he became a civil servant, laborin' just wouldn't matter.

Relmyna however took the Dwarf teachers word more as an insult. She felt her son was as strong as any other human boy was in the city and that maybe the dwarf was just a little to prejudice of humans being miners. So, she figured, just to be on the safe side, she would teach Thaedian how to Tailor as well.

**Chapter 2:** Coming of Age

It was summer time in the beautiful Elwyn Forest and the Fair was coming. Thaedian was also getting ready to celebrate his birthday; not just any birthday either. Thaedian was coming of age. He had spent the last ten years being educated as a miner, being taught at home to tailor and when Gaius was home, groomed to be a civil servant. Coming of age meant that Thaedian would be allowed to come and go as he saw fit, he could even work with his father as an assistant. All in all, life was looking up for the boy, now becoming a man. But the days seem to creep by so slowly now that he was so close to independence.

Finally, the fair came and with it, his Birthday. It was a celebration that everyone attended. It was almost like they were there for Thaedian and not the fair. But alas, he was a smart young man and knew he had not yet become anything of note. In spite of what he had learned thus far, he was still only reluctantly allowed into the doors of the cathedral (having his fathers last name and not his mothers) and because of his fathers reputation, was still an outcast to many of his peers who's fathers were the laboring class. But Thaedians birthday came and went and soon he was at work in the Advisors office as his own fathers assistant. Thaedian was quickly recognized by the nobility in Stormwind and was greeted with open arms. His father had done well in his smoochings. But it still grated on him that the Laborers were so openly disdainful to a boy who had done nothing to earn their disrespect.

Thaedian had managed to graduate from the Dwarven school of mining, Stormwind with the title of Expert Miner. Most of his peers, being Dwarves, had made it to Artisan and one had even been sent to the exotic outlands to study under a Master Miner. His instructor said, "Well, like I said in the begginin', he is a smart lad, and tough as nails, but them arms ya see, they just too small and boney. He knows his stones though and will be a good advisor when the time comes. So dun worry, I dun taught him well."

The funny thing was, Thaedian was one of the stronger boys in the city. He just didn't have the stocky stature of a dwarf, he had the stocky stature of a human.

Though war raged all around the Eastern Kingdoms and the lands of Kalimdor, there really didn't seem any pressure for Thaedian to learn about war. Few of his father line had ever been more than local patrol, beating up on thugs and bandits. Thaedian had learned to use the staff however as he would some times have to fend off a thief living in the forest. But now, those days were gone as his new position within his fathers office paid him a city wage that was enough for him to get a small dwelling. His wage wasn't real great as his dwelling was a small block away from the Inscription Institute near the City Stockades. Yet, oddly enough his biggest problem was the Mages School. There always seemed to be some kind of small threat coming from the mage district. This or that student conjuring something infinitesimally weak but still horribly irritating when free to roam. There were even rumors of a school of demonology near by, but no one seemed to have any idea where or if it was really true.

Sometimes Thaedian thought it would be nice to find a real warlock. Having a warlock teach him to summon some kind of demon under his control would make for an aweful lot of fun and maybe let something loose on the mages to remind them that their magic wasn't the only one in town. Once, in passing he asked his fathers friend Mathias if there was any truth to the matter of a warlock school of demonology near where he lived. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about those boys in the Slaughtered Lamb young Mordrus. They know better then to get outta control in my city."

When he was alone again, Thaedian was taken aback. Not only was there a real warlock school in stormwind and near his home, it was in the very tavern he would get his hot meals from after work. 'How could I have missed something like that?' he thought to himself. As his work week passed, the thought that he had totally missed the goings on of his local Tavern tore at him. He decided that he would go in, get his meal and when enough people were gone, he would ask the tender about it.

Thaedian went to the 'Lamb' as he called it later then usual that night. He was starving and was eager to get his food. The Tender was courteous and friendly to him as Thaedian was one of his very few returning customers. Being a place suspected of being built atop catacombs wasn't really the best thing for business. "Well young Mordrus, your late this evening. Everythin' okay in the advisors office?" Jarel Moor asked.

"Hmm? Oh yes, everythings fine. I just had some things to do at home before I come in is all." Thaedian replied.

Jarel brought his food and cool mug of ale. Theadian did his best to eat slowly, but again, he was starving and waited a great deal longer to get in for dinner then his body was accustom too. When he finished, most of the people in the tavern had left. Jarel appeared to be cleaning up, getting ready to close. "Jarel, why is it you close so early? Every other tavern in town is open all through the night."

Jarel lifted his hand up his side, in line with his shoulders as if to say, 'I dunno, look around, theres no one here anyway'

Thaedian thought maybe he could bring up the warlocks with a joke rather then bring on a too serious overtone. "Ahh, maybe its those Warlocks you hide in those secret Catacombs or somethin'." Jarel made a smiling snear and for some reason, that only confirmed to Thaedian that Jarel did in fact know they were there.

"Wait a second, Jarel, You really have a school down in your basement?"

"Hey, keep your voice down okay! I dun want no trouble in here."

"Trouble? From who? Me? Jarel, its me. Its not like im Shaw or something?"

A rough voice come from in the store room just to the side, outside of Thaedians Peripheral vision, "No lad, your no Shaw. So how do you know of the Catacombs?"

Thaedian turned slowly and saw a shadowy figure in ominous cloth regalia staring at him. "I work for the Labor Advisor. Im his son. Mathias Shaw is a family friend."

"Jarel old boy, you didn't tell me you catered to Stromwinds finest." Gakin said to Jarel with a suspective overtone.

Jarel stooped back to his work, cleaning the glasses and dishes behind the bar.

"So, Friend of Shaw, why the interest in the Basement? Has the Nobility of Stormwind finally decided to send in someone to investigate? You look more no more then a moon into manhood." Galik said to Thaedian as he sized the young man up.

"I'm not interested for official reasons. I'm interested for personal reasons."

"Personal you say? Well then, I am Gakin, the Darkbinder." Galik reaching his hand to greet Thaedian."

**Chapter 3: **When dawn fell upon the City.

Thaedian had been working now with his father for nearly two years. The one thing he learned was that promotion didn't come fast and the pay rarely got better. Working for the City had some perks, but it also had some set backs, especially when you were too low ranking to be bribed. Giaus seemed content with his work however and Relmyna brought in more then enough coin from her work to keep the household on an even keel. With both the family men working within the city walls however, Relmyna was more vulnerable to bandit attacks in the cottage, so Giaus decided it was best to move the family home inside the city walls. He rented the cottage out to a veteran who was far less likely to be invaded then his wife, and the rent just about covered their new apartment style home in old town.

Gakin had become a regular visitor to Thaedians home as the two had become good friends. Gakin had also become Thaedians Instructor in the demon arts. By this point, Thaedian had found himself a real home in the arts. He was strong enough to handle the demons he learned to summon, his favorite and most powerful being Klathnos the voidwalker. But his mental aptitude's seemed well suited to training as a warlock. Gakin would often say that Thaedians mind was like a steel trap with the dark arts. Never did something need to be said twice or shown twice. Once was always enough. Being that Demonology was an ethereal power like other magic, Thaedian always had to keep his clothing light or his ability to summon power would diminish. But he had learned well from his mother and had a fine clothen set made for when rituals were practiced at the Slaughtered Lamb. Having mastered the ability to summon a Succubus allowed Thaedian the ability to manage his time more effectively without the youthful pursuit of female companionship. 'Human women are just too damn dramatic and sensitive anyway. They always want more time and more effort while providing nothing of real value that my succubus can't provide.' It seemed that most Warlock's, male and female were of a similar dispositions.

Tonight was a bit of special occasion. Gakin was going to induct a new member to the order. Surena Caledon was a stunningly beautiful young woman whom had caught the eye of Gakin a few months earlier. It seemed apparent to everyone that Surena and Gakin would probably be together. It was a widely whispered joke that if they had children, they probably wouldn't be human ones. But Surena was honestly a good practitioner of the dark arts so no one begrudged her induction as something solely related to her relationship to Gakin. What made this induction special was the fact that it was the first induction in nearly two years. Thaedian had been the last inductee as the Paladins seemed to be on the recruiting path lately.

Once, only a few months prior to this night, a Paladin saw Thaedian practicing his staff skill with the local weapons trainer just outside the city gate. Thaedians skill was impressive enough that the Paladin had approached him the next day and asked if he was interested in training with some Paladins, maybe even train to become a warrior of the light. Thaedian curtly reminded the Paladin of his parentage, his mothers more precisely, and the Paladin backed away as if Thaedian himself had been tainted with the Scourge. From that point on, Thaedian would feel no love loss with the so called Warriors of the Light. In fact, they could kiss Klathnos's blue voided butt for all he cared!

Surena was inducted that night, having summoned Jubtik the Imp earlier that evening. In response, everyone summoned their own Imps and let them loose upon each other. Those who were not related to one another by some means, played together, a few who had a common bloodline, tried to eat each other. Evidently that was the way of the Imp. It wasn't a major issue however, the Imps could not kill one another while summoned to the prime material anyway. They would simply go back to the nether and could be summoned again with no issue. However, there was drinking and plenty of food. Gakin had commissioned a beautiful garb from Relmyna as a kind of inductee graduation prize and also gave her a beautiful necklace for more affectionate reasons.

As the night wore on, the Warlocks had become ravagingly drunk, some passing out on the floor of the catacombs. Gakin and Surena left a little early and stumbled to Gakin's Apartment in the Park District. Thaedian stumbled to his little home near the stocks.

When early morning light peeked into Thaedians window, he felt as if he was being racked by boulders. His head was pounding and he felt so wobbly that he could barely stand. It seemed strange to him that his head was pounding so inconsistently. He used a bowl of water he kept near his bed to wipe his face, trying to sober up a little. Pound again, he fell to the floor. He tried to stand up and another pound. A closer pound. Thaedian stopped, confused, Wait! That's not my head! That's a real boulder!

Thaedian began to sober rather quickly. He got some cloths on, opened the door and saw a fiery boulder smash somewhere in the trade district. People began poring out of there homes in confusion and fear.

Thaedian ran back into his house to get his cloth gear on. He picked up his staff and a shadow wand he purchased at Auction. If the city was under attack, he thought, then im not gonna sit about as a simple assistant! He ran outside and immediately went to the Tavern. He wanted to see if the revelers from the night before were okay. He ran down to the basement, and no one was there. The whole place was deserted. He ran back up and Gakin at the door. "Are you alright Thaedian?"

"Yes…where is everyone else!" Thaedian asked.

"They went to get prepared. The Orcs are invading. Stormwind may not like us too much, but the people will still need our help if they are to live. You seem in good order, go check on your family."

Thaedian ran to Old Town, but his parents apartment was demolished. He had no way of knowing if anyone had been inside. All he could think to do was run to the main gates and help however he could. If his parents yet lived, his father would send word. As he entered the Trade district, he saw with great horror, a huge fiery boulder smash into the tall tower of the Mages Academy. All the various magics locked withing the tall tower were suddenly released into a huge, bright and dreadfully beautiful display and ultimately destroyed the entire mage district. Thaedian caught view of Mathias Shaw and ran up to him. "Mathias, have you seen my parents?"

Mathias hardly recognized Thaedian in his warlock regalia. "Uuh, no… oh, Thaedian. No, your father is in the lower keep with the rest of the non combatant civil servants. In fact, you should be there yourself!"

"Is my mother with him?"

"umm, hmm, no… No Theadian she isn't. She… She was at home."

Thaedian was bereft. He knew Shaw had just told him that his mother was dead and his father was in the keep, safe. His father must have left her behind to save himself. Thaedian got angry, his temper flared and Mathias saw a little of what Thaedian had become. Gakin ran up to Thaedian with Surena under tow. "Come now my friend, lets give these damned Orcs what for!"

The main gates were beaten down. Orcs tried to poor into the city but the Paladins and Warriors stop their initial entry. Upon the tattered inner walls, the Mages and Priests took up station. Priests were trying to heal as many as they could will the remaining mages casted their fireballs and Ice shards into the chest and faces of the resilient Orcs. Rogues waiting patiently in the shallows of the front moat, waiting for their chance to get behind the enemy and backstab them critically. Gakin and the warlocks waited as the lines of Paladins and Warriors began to get cut down. Some thought the warlocks were waiting to let their rivals of the light die before they started to fight, but the truth was simpler. The Melee attackers were in the damn way. When the Orcs cut through the first line, the Warlocks opened hell upon them. Summoned minions were thrust into their midst while shadow bolts were cast onto them. Fire rained from the sky killing Orc after Orc. Then the next blow, Shaws Rogues made their strike, killing the rear guard of the first wave. The Orcs were cross fired in. They could not escape nor push forward. They just died, painfully.

The second wave thrust into Shaws Rogues trying to help rescue the injured and salvage the dead. Again the warlocks fired their arsenal of Demon Magic from directly in their line. The mages fired their bold of hot, cold and arcane, all the while Rogues shifting in and out of sight, murdering anyone whos skin had any color others then human, elf or Dwarven skin tones. The third wave fell as well. But the armies of Thrall had a surprise. The first three waves were just a game. A means to fire up the veterans. The fourth wave began with Mages firing bolts of fire into the allied midst. Electric Blasts began to incapacitate as the shamans of Orgrimmar showed their worth. Gakin was struck unconscious, Surena Dragging him to safety.

Zardeth took command of the Warlocks and ordered them to split up and get out of the line of sight of the shamans. Ethereal wolves stormed in and began attacking the rogues who had a difficult time seeing them in their ghostly forms. Stormwinds Paladins began their second assault, Judging the enemy, shattering some, getting killed by others. The mages began to run out of power, as did the priests. The shamans laid down their totem springs giving a constant fuel of magic to their kinsmen. Within hours, almost every vial of rejuvenation was empty and the city was almost on its knee's. Orgrimmar brought what seemed to be an endless supply of Shamans whom could refill all the mana their kin would need. Over half of Stormwinds Paladins were dead, many of the warrior retreated further into the city, waiting for the Orcs to come in deeper and give them a revived assault. Zardeth finally ordered the Warlocks to retreat into the city. The frontal assault, he said was damned to work anyway. Night began to fall and Orgrimmars forces collected their dead and dying and withdrew. Stormwinds remaining forces withdrew into the trade district. The only soldiers who would be fighting at night were the rogues. Shaw leading them as valiantly as any Rogue could muster.

Those from the keep exited and began looking for survivors. Some went to the trade district to find out what was happening and what they should do next. Thaedian had been hit hard by a fire bolt which burned a good deal of his regalia and weakened his body. Giaus went to the trade district and saw his son. It was anything but kind.

"Thaedian, thank the light your alive."

"Thank the light? Are you serious!" Thaedian said as he stood up, shakily. "Thank the light! Orgrimmar is invading our city, you ran off like a coward leaving mother to die alone and all you can do is say thank the Light!" Thaedian punched his father, knocking him to the ground.

"Ma..My son! I had no.. no choice. I have a duty to the council and to the laborers. I had to warn the council and rally the laborers to safety." Giaus said meekly, shocked at his sons violent act against him.

"A duty eh? Well then coward, take your duty back the safety of the keep. When the Orc's take the trade district which they likely will by tomorrow, we shall see who is safe in Stormwind!"

Zardeth, hearing the exchange, spoke so that the other warlocks could hear him. "Thaedian is right, Stormwind has no chance of holding out. We need to get to safety if we are to be any help retaking the city after this assault."

The following morning, Orc forces began their renewed assault. It was much easier for them this time around. Over half the forces of Stormwind had quit the field. Many took ships to Darkshore, some took flight to Ironforge. Most of the stronger soldiers went directly to Northrend. The warlocks flew to the neutral harbor town of Booty Bay, where they booked passage to Rachet, near Theramore. Gakin had indicated a powerful ally in the unlikely goblin city and they believed he would have the resourced they would need to ready themselves to assist in retaking Stormwind City. Though Thaedian had never been outside the borders of the forest, he didn't seem at all pensive about the journey.

Later that evening, the remaining soldiers and citizens of Stormwind surrendered the city and themselves to Thralls Army. The soldiers were kept securely in the stockades while the citizenry were allowed to leave the city, being of no real value to the Orcish Military. Giaus was able to pass as a laborer well enough and made his way out of the city to Westfall. Mathias Shaw and his remaining rogues, snuck out of the Stockades in the middle of the night and, leaving a trail of blood from the various guards along the way, left Stormwind in an attempt to muster Stormwinds allies to retake the city.

(Remaining Chapters shall be submitted one at a time to assist in keeping the story consistent. From here, the Characters will be in the more current timeline after having spend some time in Rachet. I will allow for some Memory Portions to help advance the readers understanding of the storyline and how the group of Warlocks made their way to Northrend. Any and all feedback will be accepted.)


	2. Chapter 4

**In the Shadows of Light**

**Chapter 4: **The enemies back yard

Gakin and his group of Warlocks sailed into Rachet shortly before sunrise. Thaedian was still hurt, having little medical attention while on ship. Rachet wasn't likely to have good medical facilities being a goblin port and not a human one, but at this point, anything would do. Thaedian was carried to the local inn while the injured Gakin and Zardeth went to find _Strahad. _Ursula decided to go to the Tavern portion of the Inn to see if any guests had anything useful to assist with the healing process. "Well.." the little green innkeeper said, "We have a Druid form the circle staying here tonight. She is said to be on her way to visit family. But I don't think you would find her useful."

"Useful? How could a druid not be useful in healing? Even the most feral of them can still heal!" Ursula exclaimed.

The druid however made her presence known, allowing Ursula to see why she wasn't a likely candidate to help them. She was Tauren. "I am Maku of the Druid Circle. You are in need of assistance?"

"Uhh, hmm…well, yes. However, I would not presume to think you interested in healing a human."

"No? hmm… well my dear, I am an old woman. I have grown to learn a good deal about balance. One thing I have come to learn in my years is that war is never balanced. I will do what I can to help your friend. I care not for his race or allegiance. My loyalty remains with the Circle, not the Horde or Alliance."

Maku stepped into the room of Warlocks. Surena watching over Thaedian while the others tried to rest. The Druid looked around and the suspective eyes of these wayward travelers with no unrest. "You have been more then just hurt, you have been in a battle! All of you could use some help!"

Thaedian sat up, looking at Maku with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Why would a member of the Horde help us? Your kind just took Stormwind by force!"

Maku replied gently, "You fought very hard for one so young. But you are in fact very hurt and you might not survive the night without my aid. You may be fiery, but your body is still mortal. Do not let help slip foolishly from you only to face death unnecessarily."

Ursula hushed Thaedian and gave a glance to the rest in the room. She felt safe with this druid and knew also, that if horde forces came looking for refugee's, having one of their own might make for a clever ruse to keep them all from being killed. If after-all this old druid had them as "Prisoners" to present as a gift to Thrall.

Maku began her practice, starting with Thaedian as he was the most heavily injured in the room. At some point, Gakin and Zardeth returned and after letting their initial shock settle, were also put under the healing touch of the druid. By the time she finished her work, Thaedian was waking. The rest of the room held tight under the druid's healing sleep. "Your body has reacted quickly to my magic young warlock. You must have some magic too you that was not learned. Any healers in your family?"

Suddenly, Thaedian woke. 'That terrible screeching noise again' he thought to himself. Nearly seven years had passed since the Orc's invaded Stormwind City, killing his mother and exposing his father for a coward. Stormwind City had since been recaptured. Gakin's Warlocks were not permitted to assist in the siege as the Paladins soundly blamed the warlocks for the death of their compatriots while defending. "Of course they would.." Gakin would always say, "For be it from those holy bastards to admit they were unprepared and caught totally off guard. Blame the Warlocks who did the most damage to the enemy because Warlocks don't follow the light!" To Thaedian, Gakin was obsessed with what happened and how he and his Warlocks were cast away in spite of everything they had done to repel Thralls Army. It had only gotten worse when Surena left Valiance Keep to return to Stormwind in the Arms of a bandit lover. Thaedian however had an altogether different obsession.

In the years since coming to Northrend, Thaedian began to feel as if he had only one option to survive the war and help defeat the Lich King. He would have to become immortal himself. He had a small laboratory setup just outside of town. Various Scourge Minions would wonder in too close to Valiance Keep for comfort and would be slaughtered. Though these weaker minions were not difficult to take down, they were still immortal in that they could not die accept by force. So it was to them that Thaedian studied. Years and years of study both in his own lab and as a Warlock. By this point, he had even surpassed most of the surviving circle of warlocks that he had fled with. He had even learned to summon the mighty Fel Guard! To keep himself trained with his Fel Guard, Thoothun Thaedian would often venture out towards DragonBlight to 'collect samples' of the plagued bears and Elk in the snowy forest. In spite of his research, which was widely known and little liked, Gakin had done well in securing a good reputation for himself and the Warlocks among the leaders in Valiance. The Borean Tundra was a beautiful place, when you took away all the hostilities. But the Hostilities made it hard for the high command to refuse help from anyone capable of giving it and warlocks were just as fine a friend as any.

"Thaed my friend, why do you persist in this cause of your's? It scares the local citizenry you know, all this corpse defilement and experimentation. Some think you are working for the Undead of Lordaeron trying to create a new curse."

"Oh come now Gakin, most of these people are superstitious country yokels without a clue. They crush any little beetle they see simply out of fear that it contains the poison of the Scourge because they see the huge ones which occasionally creep into the Tundra. Besides, what do you think would scare the Scourge King more, a thousand easily killed Paladins or a small army of immortal warlocks?" Thaedian speaking with a tinge of irritation.

"Ahh, as always your logic is sound my friend, though your mind perhaps, is a little….unsettled? Yes, unsettled. We shall call it that for now." Gakin Responded.

Zardeth and Thaedian had been summoned to meet Gakin at the Keep. The General had asked for Thaedian and Zardeth personally, which made Thaedian wonder if he was to be ordered not to continue his experiments. Gakin greeted both his friends at the entryway, "Ahh, good you two could make it so quickly. The General has asked something of us."

Zardeth and Thaedian walked up the stairs into the Generals office in the keep. The stone walls had become a familiar sight over the last few years, but they still reminded Thaedian of Stormwind City. When they got to the top of the stairs, Thaedian was surprised to see a small entourage in the Generals Office. Draenei! Thaedian had heard of these exotic Allies, but had never seen one face to face. And by the Shadows they were huge! Big enough surely to give even a Tauren Warrior Pause.

"Ahh, Master Warlock's, it is good that you have come. Please, take a seat. We have a few things to discuss." The General said pleasantly.

The Draenei Entourage, totaling four sat at one end of the Generals large table, The General and his high command of three sat at the opposing end, while the warlocks took seats to the left end of the table nearest the west entry. The largest of the Draenei spoke first, evidently feeling a little odd about not having been properly introduced. "I am Balaur, a General of the Draenei. These three men are my aide's. It is a pleasure to meet the three of you."

Gakin half rose to speak, "A pleasure to meet you as well General."

Zardeth looked over at Gakin, waiting for him to fully seat himself again. "Balaur you say? That does not sound as if it is a Draenei name." Zardeth pointed out.

"It is not. It is the name given to me by some of the common people here. I am unsure as to its meaning, but I have taken it as my own as my birth name can not be properly pronounced in your language. Perhaps you would be kind enough to explain its meaning?" Balaur asked a little confusedly.

"I am unsure as to its meaning General, perhaps my companion Thaedian can shed some light. He has an… Unusual understanding of such things." Zardeth said slightly ribbing Thaedian.

Thaedian smiled ruefully for a moment, "Yes, I do indeed old friend. General, the Name Balaur is actually the name given to a Three headed Dragon. A very powerful, large and usually ferocious creature that will sometimes kill people, and other times, help them. Depending on his mood at the moment. I would venture to say that they would give you such a name because of the extensions on your face. To us, they would seem somewhat serpentine like a dragon."

"Interesting. It sounds monstrous, yet you seem to have some reverence for the creature as well. Please, explain this?" Balaur asked.

"The common human is not always the most intelligent creature General Balaur. They might give you such a name because you seem ferocious to them, and therefore frightening. But to those of us who are capable of reading a book, the Balaur is an intelligent being with immense abilities. So I simply find it fitting that the commoners are correct about you, while the name likely also fits the more educated version as well. I dare say you are likely a ferocious General, with great intelligence and ability."

The General and his command were relieved at how the Warlock ended his explanation. It would not due to have the Draenei feel offended right off the bat. Balaur and his aide's smiled ruefully at the explanation as well. "General, your warlock friends are indeed as you said they were. I am impressed by the council you keep." Balaur said to the human General as he nodded politely to Thaedian. Gakin sighed in relief.

The youngest of Balaur's aides stood up at that point to present his Generals orders to their human allies.

"Our primary purpose is to present ourselves to you in order to form a strategy that can allow our collective troops access to the Lands of Icecrown. To do this, we have surmised that we must forge access both through DragonBlight and Shalozar Basin. The Lich King has, on many occasions proven he is capable of cutting off reinforcements when we give ourselves only one way in or out of an area. Also, we have begun incorporating Shamans into our educational practices as a means to build up our understanding both of the environment in which we have found ourselves, and as a means to help counter the shamanistic prowess of the Horde. Our Shamans have requested access to samples of Plagued Flesh so as to possibly find a natural means of curing the Scourge, or in the very least, cure those who have been infected before it has a chance to take permanent hold. I trust we will have your local healers assistance in the ladder of these endeavors?" The aide asked, looking at the human General.

"No need, the reason I asked these particular Warlocks to council is for this very reason. Master Gakin leads our warlocks, Master Zardeth has proven himself a capable Magic user in war and is also an exceptional Skinner. Thaedian however will be of greatest use to you in this Endeavour I believe, as he has not only proven himself very capable as a warlock, but is an adamant researcher of the Scourge. He has a Laboratory just outside the walls in our farming community. He has spent the last several years researching the taint itself."

Balaur seemed very pleased with the Generals response. It was apparent that he had taken an immediate liking to Thaedian. Gakin as well picked up on this, and after the meet was complete, invited Balaur to join Thaedian in his Laboratory while Zardeth and himself took the Draenei General's Aides for a tour of Valiance Keep and onto their own council domain for more detailed briefings. Thaedian escorted Balaur to his Lab/Home directly after the meeting ended. Balaur did not feel it necessary to compliment Thaedian on his attitude of getting right down to business. Upon entering Thaedians home, it was apparent to the Draenei General that Thaedian was not a man to prone to rest and relaxation. The cottage was certainly a bit larger then the rest in the village, but there one a simple bed, a dresser for clothing, a small table with two chairs, seemingly for eating and even a very small hearth for cooking, the rest of the place was the laboratory. Books were everywhere, though they were in a sort of order which likely made sense to Thaedian. Cuts of oozing flesh lay about several tables. "How is it, Master Warlock that you have been able to keep the smell of the flesh from becoming overwhelming?" Balaur asked.

"Its easier then you might think. The flesh is more or less dead, but being tainted does not give off the kind of stench one might think. If the dead smell to badly, then they would be noticed well before the Scourge King could get close enough for a battle. He has kept the flesh relatively clean smelling by simply keeping the flesh itself alive while the insides of the body have rotted. Even still, the organs of these damned things rot perpetually, but seem to regenerate as if still alive while the flesh, even in this cut and skewed states, remain living."

"Living you say!" That is absolutely amazing. How has he accomplished this?"

"I wish I knew General. That is why I have this lab, to figure that very question out."

At that point, something terrible dawned on the Draenei General. "Master Thaedian, your not working towards a cure for the taint, your trying to find out how to the Lich King keeps the flesh alive under even these circumstances!"

"Yes General I am. I can think of no better way to scare that bastard, Arthas. If We had such an army as that could not die, we would have no need to rely upon simple prayers to keep our soldiers alive, much less victorious against the Scourge." Thaedian said with resolve.

"Master Thaedian, I can not say I agree with your goals, but I do think your likely to have the most knowledge of this taint. I would like to have an agreement with you before we continue any further in our endeavors. I will not impede into your research here, if you would agree to allow my Shamans access to it so they may seek out a cure."

"Oh, absolutely General. I think it would be a perfectly effective measure if I can find a way to make our soldiers immortal while curing the Scourge of all their power. That would more then tip the balance into Alliance favor. Then perhaps we could also cure the Undead Horde and retake Lordaeron as well. The Horde would have no choice but to yield control of the Eastern Kingdoms back to the Alliance."

Thaedian and Balaur stayed up through the night; Thaedian explaining the various notions he had uncovered about the taint thus far while Balaur used some sort of recording device to record everything for an initial report to his Shamans. Thaedian put several samples of tainted flesh into an enchanted container for Balaur to give to his people to begin their work. Balaur explained how the Draenei managed into Azeroth and what they expected their lives to be if victorious against the Lich King.

(The next chapter will begin several months after Balaur and Thaedians first meeting. The bonds forged between the Draenei warriors, shamans and mages and Gakins warlocks run deeper and deeper as they forge their initial pathway into Icecrown through DragonBlight. Battles won and blood lost forge a deep alliance for the entire group, Balaur and Thaedian especially. One last battle remains for this core group however, and this battle shall set the stage for a new life for them all.)


	3. Chapter 5

**In the Shadows of Light**

**Chapter 5: ** Fear, Fate and the Frozen Chosen

Several months had passed since Draenei General Balaur and his men first showed up in the Borean Tundra to assist Valiance Keep and the Alliance in forging the first paths into Icecrown. Obtaining the countenance of the Wyrmrest Accord leadership had been difficult at first. The Dragons felt they had more pressing matters with a Blue Dragonflight and cared little for the Scourge and Alliance. But when the Scourge invaded a near by Dragon Shrine, the Dragon leadership decided to Sanction the efforts of General Balaur, his unit of 42, and his compatriots, Gakin's Warlocks; now called simply, the Darkbinders. The only warlock who held a different title was Thaedian. Everyone called him the Soul Eater. Mostly due to his research of the Plague and as well as his collection of soul shards which he would polish so that one could actually see the soul energy captured.

The nights were so cold in Northrend especially for some of the Draenei who had once lived in a peaceful land in the plains of outlands where the stars would warm the very soul, or so they would claim. For months, the nearly 50 ally's strong unit worked through the snow, rebuilding parts of ancient roads and fighting off everything from random Dragon Whelps, to wild animals and the occasional Scourge Stray. The only problem was that the scouting parties could not locate the origin of the Scourge who would wonder into their area. It seemed as if they could come from any direction, just never in any great number. Ursula would often jibe the others by saying that the Lich King was tossing them around using a catapult in all directions just to see if they could land on their feet like cats. The humans always got the joke, the Draenei, not so much.

Every evening, the Darkbinders would leave camp to setup new demon circle transport locations. Gakin was a cautious man after Stormwind City. As well, the Draenei always kept their mages close when any foe arrived, just in case they needed to suddenly teleport out. Balaur and Thaedian both grew worried when major attacks didn't come. It seemed to give the unit a since of invulnerability. Even the Darkbinders grew less paranoid. They would do their circles more out of habit then any real sense of danger. Thaedian had declined to tell his compatriots that he had setup a type of permanent demon circle in his lab which was able to remain constant by using a large supply of Soul Shards he had left in his Laboratory. Not that he wanted to have a better escape plan, but rather, when others slept, he would often teleport back to his Lab to run his experiments.

In the months since they left Valiance Keep for the Wilds of Dragonblight, Thaedian began to feel he was very close to answers with his work. To Balaurs disappointment, his shamans had made very little progress in finding a cure for the taint, where it seemed Thaedian was on a solid path to finding a way to replicate it, maybe even have control over those who had it. Being a warrior meant that Balaur would want to use any weapon at his disposal to fend off and defeat the Scourge, so he remained true to his promise to Thaedian. However, he would say "It sure would be great if we could cure all those poor souls forced to serve Arthas."

The night drew closer to the unit, so General Balaur called for everyone to get back to camp. He wanted it to be an early night so they could get a fresh start in the morning. One of his aide's sniped on about being refreshed for the following day when they might work with the countless Minions of the Scourge which were never seen. Balaur rasp his Aide on the shoulder, trying to encourage him to not take their work and their danger so lightly. The Darkbinders, true to their habit, left in several directions to set up their new Demon Circle points. Zardeth and Ursula set out towards the Dragon Temple while Gakin headed towards the Onyx Dragon Shrine. Thaedian headed towards the frozen lake, but ultimately did not create a new demon circle as he planned to head back to the laboratory when everyone had settles in at camp.

Ga'aton the Darkbinder and Klotus of the Draenei set out towards Wintergarde Keep. Ga'aton and Klotus had become good friends and Klotus would often follow his warlock friend to watch him setup the demon circle. Balaur had even entertained the idea of allowing Klotus to be trained in some of the warlock ways, but ultimately pushed the thought aside. He didn't know if his old mentor A'dal would approve of the Draenei learning such dark arts, even if it was from their own allies. Everyone was settling into camp as the first of the Warlocks returned. Ursula and Zardeth entered first, with Gakin close behind. Thaedian came in as two others did, but Ga'aton and Klotus seemed to be running late. "I wouldn't worry too much about those two General. Ga'aton has a fancy for the Drink and Klotus wouldn't dare leave a friend behind, even if it gets him in trouble. Wintergarde can be a lively place when darkness falls upon the land." Gakin proclaimed with unsteady confidence.

The one thing the General found most interesting about the Darkbinders was how they chose to 'rough it' They always used magic to light the camp fires, which was always a sight as the flames would be a blackish purple for the first hour, before the magic began to ware off and natural flame took over. Even their tents were held together by magic. A single soul shard would power the low level spell which kept their tents up and warm through the night and around the time the soul magic began to faultier, it would be time to get up and get to work. It was almost like a warlock alarm clock. The Draenei refused to use warlock magic with their own tents however. Not out of fear or a wish to offend, rather, they had an affinity for warming gems. Not that the warlocks had even the slightest clue what one of those were.

From the distance, a shadowy figure began to form. The winter winds prevented anyone from hearing anything, but the figure seemed to be getting larger. Then it dawned on the camp, it was someone coming from Wintergarde. "Ahh, our two stragglers have finally decided to come to camp." Gakin said with relief.

Gakin's relief was short lived however when Ga'aton entered into the camp, alone and flustered. "Klotu….s…he's…..winter…..the keep…...!" Ga'aton said incoherently as he tried to catch his breath.

"Calm down man, what has happened?" Balaurs shaman master said.

Ga'aton stopped for a short moment, caught his breath and finally said, "Klotus has been struck! The Scourge have landed outside Wintergarde! A whole army is coming behind me!"

"Landed? How Ga'aton, landed how?" Zardeth asked frantically.

"Naxxramas! Arthas must have sent Naxxramas. Its floating just outside the Keep now. Hundreds of Scourge are poring into the village and many are coming this way as well. They must have figured out what were trying to do!"

The camp roused as quickly as they could, but it was all for naught. Only moments after Ga'aton explained what happened and the first wave of 40 minions and 25 Ghouls appeared in the darkness. The sky began to light up with the fire like rain from the Darkbinders. The shamans dropped their totems and shot off their electric bolts, but much of this was done in vain. Flustered and confused, they missed more often then hit. The mages began shooting Fire balls, forsaking their ice bolts as these minions were already in a frozen landscape. The hunters shot their weapons while their pets attacked, most died. Balaur and the rest of the warriors fought melee, even hand to hand as some had already put their weapons away for the night. The warlocks released their minions, one fel guard lead a charge of imps and voidwalkers into the fray. Thoothun inflicted a great amount of damage, but ultimately fell. Thaedian re-summoned him, but the second wave had arrived.

A large, patchworked creature emerged from the darkness. His five arms and hands each wielding a weapon. Each weapon glowing with a different high power enchantment. Balaur ordered his mages to create portals to the Exodar. He had not yet noticed that the mages were wounded or dead and could do nothing to save them. Gakin ordered the Darkbinders to retreat via demon circle, an order which Balaur ratified. Thaedian the Soul Eater refused to leave his friend behind. The last thing Thaedian the Soul Eater saw was the Patchwork thrusting his enchanted axe into his face. Then the whole of the world went dark. Balaur screamed in rage, but fell as a second patchwork emerged from the dark and thrust a blade through Balaurs cracked plate armor, into his chest. Balaurs last words were, "This place is so cold, just so cold."

(part 2)

The two Death Knights opened their eyes for what felt like the first time. There was a deep pain in their chest as they stood and tried to look around. A necromancer slapped one of them in the face, but with no effect. Both Death Knights could only feel the pain in their chest. Nothing else mattered. A larger Knight came towards them, wearing beautiful blue armor. "Come now Death Knights, you have one last thing to do before you are acceptable! Hurry now, I haven't got all day!" Razuvious spoke harshly.

Both Death Knights hurried themselves as if compelled by some unknown force to follow. Their minds were clear, as if nothing at all existed in them. They felt no longing, no hope or fear, no ego or haste. They just felt the pain, like the deepest hunger. "You," Razuvious pointed to the Knight who was once Balaur, "Draenei, come here! I want you to get down into that pit, unchain that other Draenei who was found unworthy. If you kill him in single combat, then you will be considered acceptable."

The Death Knight went to the wall, picked up a blade, runed it as if by instinct, then plunged himself into the pit. He unchained the Draenei Klotus and allowed him a moment to put on his old gear which had been set near him. "I am sorry General, but if I wish to live, I must kill you." Klotus said with deep sadness. The Death Knight did not compute what was said, he simply rushed forward to attack Klotus. He felt no recognition of the Draenei before him, not while he fought him, nor when he thrust his blade into his stomach and lurched it in an upward fashion, nearly cutting Klotus in half.

"You there, Human, go in the pit, select one of the prisoners and kill him in cold blood. Do this and you will be accepted as a Death Knight." Razuvious said to the Knight once known as Thaedian the Soul Eater. The Death Knight jumped into the pit, not choosing to use a weapon. He unlocked the chains which held an unacceptable Orc. "You choose no weapon Human! I shall kill you anyway!." The Orc said in his native tongue.

The orc donned his gear and his axe and jumped towards the Death Knight. It didn't take long as the death knight cast a rune to freeze the orc, then boiled his blood and curse him with a vial disease. The orc died in agony, never having finished a single strike against the Death Knight.

"Excellent Death Knights, it's good to know that talent is not being wasted here. Now go to the hall of command, the King wishes to speak to all his Knights upon induction. Go! Go Damn you!" Razuvious yelled.

The two Death Knights walked to the glowing portal across from the training area. Immediately they were teleported to the Hall of Command, whereupon they saw King Arthas speaking to his High Lord Mograine. Both Knights walked up to the king and stood as still as ice blocks, awaiting notice. Without uttering a single word, the King spoke to both his Knights. "I have remade you into this image Knights. Your _will_ shall never again be your own. There is great work to be done if we are to purge these lands of the imperfections of mortality. You will go now to the lands below us. Use the Death Chargers and follow the road to the lands of Zul'Drak. From there, you shall begin preparing the land for the Scourge. Begin Tainting those mortal creatures and lead a charge against any who stand in your way." Arthas speaking in his deep guttural voice.

Mograine walked up to the two Death Knights and spoke, "The King wants you to assist in our conquest of Zul'Drak. You will report to Prince Keleseth who is currently in the Carrion Fields below. He will command you further."

Both Knights complied without question.

The undead flight mounts landed the Knights on a pre-set landing platform beneath Naxxramas. A small camp was setup around the platform as a staging area for the continuing attack on Wintergarde Keep. As soon as Balaur stepped off the platform, he was immediately attacked by another Death Knight. He did not question this action, nor did his companion seek to help him. Balaur only understood by instinct that this was a moment in which he would need to kill the opposing Knight. Previous to her new existence as a Death Knight, the once Night Elf Druid had been slain while trying to heal a small group who had entered the Nexus for the Kirin Tor. She had proven herself an excellent Blood Knight, but was simply no match for the instinctual experience of the once Draenei General. Using his Frost power Talents, he froze the Female Knight in a block of ice and pounded her body until it was nearly pulped. She never got back up.

The once Warlock Knight summoned his undead minion from the corpse of the fallen Knight. Both remaining Knights looked at each other without feeling then proceeded to the Prince's command tent. They stood again, like blocks of ice before Prince Keleseth. "Ahh, new recruits have come. Excellent. I have a bit of a job for the two of you. I need to know what type of skill you possess. You see, though you are Knights of Death now, you were once something different, something lesser then you are. However, your instinct for battle will be as it was when you were mortal. You possess your combat skills, among other things and it will need to be tested. I want you both to enter the village close into Wintergarde Keep. Kill 10 Villagers and 10 Soldiers and bring me trophies of these kills. I expect a full report of how each of them died so that I may know who best to have educate you from here on out."

The following morning the two Death Knights returned to Prince Keleseth's Tent. When the Prince motioned to them to continue their report, both Knights empties their bags to show the prince the various body parts in which they had dismembered from their victims. "Excellent, both of you. You have done well, though it would have been nice to have these earlier, like last night. However, you have come through. Let me see, how about you human, how did you kill your victims?"

"I found a way to keep my minion permanently summoned. I used him to distract the enemy while a come in behind and engaged them with runes of disease…My Prince."

"Very good. You should go to Lady Alistra now for training. She will guide you on the path of the Unholy. How about you Draenei?"

Balaur explained his affinity for ice runes and the prince expressed a wish for him to specialize in frozen talents. The human Death Knight waited for the Prince to finish with Balaur, who seemed to remember someone calling him that at some point and chose to keep the name. "Something more you wish to report Death Knight? Keleseth asked the Human.

"Prince, the mortals in the town kept calling me something. I wonder, was it my name?"

"What did they call you?" Keleseth asked.

"They kept calling me Uniila…Uniila."

"Do you like the name?"

"I do not know. All I know is the pain in my chest has lessened since I killed them."

"Uniila is a mortal word. It comes from various small tribes from Kalimdor. It means Demon or Devil. A name I think is rather appropriate considering what you have done to these people." Keleseth speaking with an evil grin upon his half covered face.

Part 2: The Next Engagement

When Balaur and Uniila returned to the floating city of Naxxramas, they were both met with a group of four other death knights. The smallest of the group, a once dwarf spoke first, indicating first to Balaur.

"You! Draenei!" The small death knight yelled.

"I will listen, for now death knight. What is it you want?" Balaur responded.

"Perhaps you don't know this, but we have a little tradition here. You see, we must fight each other in order to prove our worth. Killing mortals is an easy enough endeavor, so don't think anyone here will be impressed by your little mission below. Killing us however, might be a different story." The dwarf grinned.

Uniila turned to Balaur, "it seems we are to be paired together in all things Knight Balaur."

"So it does, Human."

Once Balaur finished his short retort to Uniila, he immediately opened an attack on the dwarf. Uniila tossed some corpse dust on the ground and from it, summoned himself a ghoul. Balaur did the same, as did the other four death knights and thus the battle was on. The runic powers each knight possessed seemed almost to cancel out when an opposing knight summoned his own. From this, was it obvious to both Uniila and Balaur that defeating these four knights would be an exercise in Melee combat only, so quick could they recover from each others runic spells. Once Uniila and Balaur made that conclusion, the battle began to go in their favor. Balaur swiped his blade under the dwarf, seeing as the dwarf had been so used to his short stature, that no one thought to attack him at his feet. The Dwarf went down hard and Balaur jumped upon his chest, digging his hooves into the dwarfs wreathing body. Uniila was beset by two of the knights, one a Blood Elf and the other a Tauren. Behind Balaur came the Night Elf who had watched with enjoyment at his dwarven friends demise. Suddenly, all the ghouls save one fell apart on the ground. CorpseMuncher, Uniila's ghoul stayed together to help his master, ravaging the rear of the Taurens plate armor with his dead claws until finally he broke through and began tearing away of the knights back. Uniila was then able to turn his focus to the Elf who seemed able to heal himself at times. Uniila found a weak spot in the plate armor just at the arm pit and thrust his rune blade into it, casting a disease upon the tip. Once the disease was inside the opposing knights body, he began to falter. He stepped back, trying to heal himself with his blood runes, but he had used them up and none had yet recovered. Uniila froze the tip of his blade and thrust it into the neck of the Elf, freezing his head. Balaur suddenly assisted, tossing the Night Elf he was fighting into the upper body of the Blood Elf, shattering his frozen head. The Tauren yelled out, "Stop! You have won!" Uniila and Balaur both stopped immediately, having killed two other knights and defeating the other two.

Balaur took out some cloth he had scavenged while on their mission and began to bandage some of his wounds. The enchanted cloth immediately began to heal his wounds. He gave some to Uniila who did the same. Neither spoke a word after the fight, they both simply went to their respective trainers, leaving the two surviving knights to their own devices.

"What do they call you Death Knight?" Amal'Thazad asked of Balaur.

"I am called Balaur." He responded unfeeling.

"You and your friend there, you are both rather adept in combat. I see why Razuvious chose you."

"Indeed. It was a small matter."

Balaur heard a voice that seemed to come from nowhere. "Come to me Knight." He looked around for a moment, but saw no one who seemed to have such a voice.

"You heard the voice just now didn't you?" Amal'thazad asked.

"Yes." Balaur responded.

"It is the King. He has summoned you it would seem. Go to him, then when he is done with you, come back to me for more training. You are string enough to learn more still."

Without a word, Balaur followed the order. It wasn't long before Uniila joined with him as they traversed the interior of Naxxramas toward the Lich King.

"Ahh, here they are my King." Keleseth said as he saw Balaur and Uniila enter the command chamber.

"Come forward Knights." Arthas commanded.

"This prince has told me of your exploits against the Keep below. So too have I felt the death of two other knights by your hands and the defeat of others. You are proving yourselves well. I am sending you to a new front. You are to follow Prince Keleseth to the Ebon hold. Your missions in Zul'Drak are no longer of consequence. I shall send lesser knights there. Once in the Ebon hold, you will prepare for my arrival and the arrival of Highlord Mograine."

(The next chapter shall take our Death Knights to the battle field of Hearthglen, the last bastion of hope and salvation for the scarlet crusade. What they find there will change the course of their immortal lives forever.)


End file.
